A LARGE fire at a nature reserve, which took around an hour to extinguish, is believed to have been started deliberately.

As reported, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was called 16 times to a blaze at the Bourne Valley Nature Reserve on Sunday, August 21, with the first call coming in at 5.28pm.

The fire affected an area of 20 metres by 100 metres and was extinguished using four hose reel jets and two mainline jets by crews from Redhill, Westbourne, Poole, Ferndown and Hamworthy.

Initially, no cause was identified and crews remained on the scene later into the evening and returned on Monday to check for any remaining hotspots.

However a social media post by Poole Fire Station reads: “Crews worked hard to surround the fire utilising fire hydrants and open water supplies, the fire is believed to [have been] deliberately ignited.”

The nature reserve, managed by BCP Council, includes Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and was at the centre of another heath fire earlier this month.